Coin-controlled newspaper-vending machine



' Patented May 23, I899. D. SULLIVAN. I

ODIN CONTROLLED NEWSPAPER VENDING MACHINE.

(Application filed June 3, 189 8.)

5 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

DAILY THE REPUBLIC SUNDAY 15 0.. wumuarcu o c Patented May 23, I899. n.SULLIVAN.

COIN CONTROLLED NEWSPAPER VENDING MACHINE.

(Application filed June 3, 1898.)

-5 Shuts-Sheet 2.

(No ModeL) awmm, w,-

No. 625,428. v Patented May 23, I899. D. SULLIVAN.

COIN CONTROLLED NEWSPAPER VENDING MACHINE.

(Application filed June 8, 189B.)

- wa e,

Patented May 23, I899.

, D. SULLIVAN.

COIN CONTROLLED NEWSPAPER VENDING MACHINE.

(Application filed June 8, 1896.)

5 Sheets-Sheet 5.

(No Modal.)

[irzwzvza m: u'cmrs PETERS cov mom-mun. \vnsummou. n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DANIEL SULLIVAN, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

COiN-CONT ROLLED NEWSPAPER-VENDING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 625,428, dated May 23,1899.

Application filed Tune 3, 1898. Serial No- 68214275. (N0 model.)

To a/ZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, DANIEL SULLIVAN, a citizen of the United States,residing at St. Louis, State of Missouri, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Coin- Oontrolled Newspaper-Vending Machines, ofwhich the followingis a full, clear, and exact description, referencebeing had to the acco mpanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

My invention has relation to improvements in coin-controllednewspaper-vending machines; and it consists in the novel arrangement andcombination of parts more fully set forth in the specification andpointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of the box or receptacle,shown partly in section to expose a portion of the diaphragm orpartition carried by the box and showing also a section of one of thegates swung open and a section of the paper-intercepting bracket pivotedto the bottom of the box. Fig. 2 is an elevation of the front of thebox, showing the Sold -out curtain exposed through the opening of thesaid wall. Fig. 3 is an elevation of the operating parts of the machineas contained in the housing carried by the side wall of the box, thedoor of the housing being removed, the view being taken from the left ofFig. 1. Fig. tis a section on line 4 4 of Fig. 3, taken only through thecompartment which receives the coin from the coin-chute, whichcompartment is recessed in the side wall of the box adjacent to thehousing. Fig. 5 is a section on line 5 5 of Fig. 3, showing theoperating parts in general plan. Fig. 6 is a section on line 6 6 of Fig.3, taken through the bottom gates, a portion of which are open and aportion closed, the controlling-triggers being omitted from this view.Fig. 7 is a front elevation of Fig. 6, the mounting-plate being removed.Fig. 8 is a horizontal section on line 8 S of Fig. 1. Fig. 9 is asection of the frame carrying the ratchetdisk, being a section taken online 9 9 of Fig. Fig. 10 is a sectional transverse elevation of the twofront compartments, the outer one showing the curtains tucked in betweenthe folds of the paper, the lower curtain, or that on which is indicatedthe name of the paper, being directly in line of the opening of thefront Wall of the box, and the upper curtain, having the words Sold out,being folded out of view. Fig. 11 is an end view of the jaw carried bythe ratchet-disk, showing the pivoted steel spring-arm mounted in thesame both in its normal position and in dotted lines in the position towhich it is thrown back when the ratchet-disk is being reset. Fig. 12 isa diagrammatic view showing the positions of the several parts as theratchetdisk is advanced one tooth for tripping any particulartripping-lever, and thus releasing the gate normally held closedthereby; and Fig. 13 is a view similar to Fig. 10, showing the lowercurtain dragged out of view and the upper curtain drawn into View.

The object of my present invention is to construct a coin-controlledapparatus which shall automatically deliver a newspaper upon theintroduction into the machine of a coin of proper denomination, thepresent device being designed with a view to simplicity, accuracy ofoperation, lightness of the operating parts, cheapness, and such otherand further advantages that a machine of this character should possess.

Theinvention in detail may be described as follows:

Referring to the drawings, 1 represents a receptacle divided interiorlyinto a series of vertical compartments 2, each designed to receive apaperintroduced thereinto from the top, the receptacle being providedwith a lid 3 at its upper end. The bottom of each compartment isnormally closed bya gate 4, which supports the paper and which swingsopen after a coin is introduced, thus permitting the paper to drop outfrom its compartment. That the paper may not drop to the floor before itis caught by the hand of the purchaser one end of the lower edge of thesheet is intercepted by the horizontal member of a bracket 5, pivotallyswung from the sides of the receptacle, and prevented from swingingbeyond a vertical position by a limiting-pin 6, against which one of thesupporting-arms of the bracket is adapted to strike. The operatingmechanism by which the series of pivoted gates is actuated is located ina compartment or housing 7 at one side of the receptacle,

such housing being provided with a door 8,

which can be securely locked. Leading to the operating mechanism fromthe top of the housing is the coin-chute 9.

Before describing the details of the operating mechanism I shall firstdescribe in detail the construction of the gate 4. Each gate ispivotally swung from a boss 10 at each end of one of the longitudinaledges thereof, the centers of rotation of the bosses being in line withsaid edge, the edge thus corresponding in position to the axis ofoscillation of the gate, and as the axis of oscillation is immediatelyunder the lower edge of the partition separating any two compartments itfollows that when the gate drops or swings to an open position, asindicated in Figs. 1, 7, and 13, there will be absolutely no obstructionto the free passage of the paper from the compartment which holds it.The bosses at one end of the gate are mounted in a metallic strip orplate 11, provided with circular openings designed to receive them,while those atthe opposite end pass through a series of semicirculardepressions 12, formed along the lower edge of a superposed metallicstrip 13, secured to the inner surface of the opposite wall of the box,the strips 11 and 13 serving as the terminal supports for the removablepartitions by which the compartments are separated. The strip 13 issecured along the bases of a series of recesses 14, cut in the adjacentwall for the reception of the opposite ends of the gates, the gatesbeing first inserted into their bearings in the plate 11, and then theopposite ends are in position to be received by the depressions 12.Carried by the boss of each gate, at the end passing through therecesses 14 adjacent to the housing 7, is a contracted neck 15, whosecenter of oscillation is in alinement with and practically acontinuation of the axis of oscillation of the gate, the neckterminating in a disk 16, which is provided with a pin 17, projectingfrom the outer face thereof at a point adjacent to the edge of the disk,the pin being diametrically opposite the free or oscillating edge of thegate. The contracted necks 15 have bearings in thelongitudinally-seotionized metallic strips 18, interposed between therecessed wall of the housing and the mounting-plate 19, secured to saidwall within the housing and which serves as a mount or support for theseries of trippinglevers to be hereinafter described. Pivoting each gatethus along one of its longitudinal edges brings its center of gravity toone side of its axis of oscillation, the terminal projecting pin 17being on the opposite side, and it is obvious, inasmuch as thereceptacle always stands vertically, that if any gate is held in ahorizontal position (that being the position necessary to close itscorresponding paperholding compartment) by seizing the pin 17 to retainit in said position against its own weight and that of the paper restingupon it that the moment the pin 17 is released the gate will be free todrop open, and thus allow the paper supported by it to drop out. The

gates are normally held closed by a series of triggers ortripping-levers 20, mounted on the plate 19 within the housing 7. Theselevers I will now proceed to describe.

Pivoted along a curved metallic strip 21, embedded in the mounting-plate19,'are a series of tripping-levers 20, their upper tapering ends beingdisposed in the curved path of the free end of a yielding steelspring-arm 23, carried by the jaw 21 of the spring-actuated ratchet-disk25, as will presently more fully appear. The lower enlarged ends of thetripping-levers or triggers are provided with notches 26, adapted, whenthe gates have been lifted or swung to a closed position, to engage theterminal projecting pins 17 of said gates and hold the latter in suchclosed position until such time as the triggers are tripped out ofengagement by the arm 23 referred to. Each trigger is held in andautomatically forced into engagement the moment the pin 17 comesopposite its corresponding notch 26 by the pressure of an elastic arm orspring wire 27, whose fixed end is secured to a metal strip 28 at thelower edge of the mountingplate and whose free curved end rides freelyover and presses against the trigger below the pivotal point of thelatter. As each trigger is tripped out of engagement by the spring 23referred to it is prevented from being tripped too far by a limiting-pin29.

The ratchet-disk is allowed to advance one tooth at a time for each coinintroduced and to trip one trigger at a time by means of anescapementdever 30, pivoted about a pin 31, projecting from a bracket32, adapted to be adjustably secured to the wall of the frame withinwhich the ratchet is mounted, the adjustment being effected by the slot33 of the bracket, through which slot the limiting-pin 7 3 1, projectingfrom the frame-wall, and the securing-screw 35, turned into theframe-wall, pass. The outer or terminal tooth 36 of the escapement-leveris normally held in engagement with the ratchet-disk by the downwardpressure of the free end of an arm 37, pivoted at one end at the upperrear corner of the housing and drawn downward against theescapement-lever by the resilient action of a coiled spring 38, whoseone end is secured near the middle of the length of the arm and whoseopposite end is fixed to the mountingplate. As seen from the drawings,the free end of the arm 37 partially embraces the -sides of the curvedescapement-lever, the embracing end riding freely over said lever duringthe oscillations of the latter. The forward extension of theescapem'ent-lever is forked, there being pivoted between the outer endsof the fork members a bell-crank lever 39, whose long arm normally restsagainst the base of the fork and whose short arm tends upwardly, asshown in the drawings. WVhen tipped to a vertical position under theaction of a coin, as will subsequently appear, the heel 40 of the shortarm strikes a cross-bar 41, spanning the space between the fork membersto the rear of the pivotal axis of the bell-crank, the cross-barlimiting the bell-crank in that direction. Forming an extension of theinner member of the forked end of the escapement-lever or that adjacentto the inner wall of the housing is an angle-arm 42, whose verticalmember is provided with an outwardly-deflected finger 43, against whichnormally rests the free end of an arm 44, carried by a locking-pawl45,which latter it keepsnormally in a raised position and out of contactwith the bell-crank-engaging pinion 46, as will presently appear. Thepawl 45 is pivoted between two lugs 47 at the upper end of a forkedbracket 48, secured to the front wall of the housing, the fork havingpivoted between its members directl y along the wall a lever-controlledpinion 49, whose lever-arm 50 projects from the periphery of the pinionand passes outside the wall through a slit 51 formed in the latter,.

and having pivoted, furthermore, immediately under the locking-pawl thebell-crankengaging pinion 40, already referred to. I have called it abell-crank-engagingpinion, as it is provided with a peripheral arm orextension 52, which engages the short arm of the bell-crank 30 upon thetilting of the lever-arm 50 and after the introduction of a coin, aswill presently appear. The lever-arm 50 and the arm 52 normally tendupwardly or are kept in a raised position by the action of a loopedspring 53, whose one end is secured to the bracket and whose other endis secured to the arm 52, the loop thereof embracing the adjacentprojecting pivotal pin of the pinion 46. The loop is so coiled as todirect the end of the spring secured to the arm 52 upwardly,

so that when the lever-arm 50 is depressed to any position and releasedthe spring 53, which actuates the intermeshing pinions 49 and 46,

will restore the parts to their normal positions.

I shall now describe how the short arm of the bell-crank is broughtunder the engaging end of the arm 52, forming the peripheral extensionof the pinion 46. Pivoted between the side walls of what constitutes acompartment or recess 54, with which the coin-chute communicates at apoint below the position normally occupied by the forked end of theescapement-lever, is a coin-interceptin g lever 55, pivoted below itscenter of gravity, the weighted or upper end of the lever naturallytilting rearwardly and being limited in that direction by the lower andinner end of a curved slot 56, formed in the lateral wall of thecompartment 54 adjacent to the housing, through which slot operates atripping arm or pin 57, projecting laterally fro m the weighted end ofthe lever 55, and always in a position to the rear of the long arm ofthe bellcrank lever. Pivoted below and in front of the lever 55 is anadjusting arm or switch 58, provided with a laterally-projecting screw59, passing through a curved slot in the wall of the compartment 54, thearm being firmly secured in any adjusted position by screwing down thenut 61 firmly against the wall. The

position of the arm 58 determines, as subse- I quently to be seen, theopening through which coins of different denominations may be dischargedfrom the compartment 54 into the coin-receptacle 62, which rests on theplatform or bracket 63.

The operation is as follows: Upon the in troduction into the coin-chuteof a coin of proper denomination the coin strikes against and lodgesupon the lower and lighter arm of the coin-intercepting lever 55, theweight of the coin tilting the lever to the lower dotted positionindicated in Fig. 3, whereupon the tripping arm or pin 57 carried by ittilts the bell-crank lever 39, so as to bring its short arm directlyunder the extension 52 of the pinion 46. (See dotted position in Fig.3.) For this position of the parts the coin rests and is held betweenthe lever 55 and the arm 58 ready to be discharged through the openbottom of the compartment 54 into the coinreceptacle. The lower end ofthe coin-interceptin g lever being thus weighted by the coin will tripthe said lever, as indicated, the pin 57 remaining in contact with thebell-crank lever. The purchaser or operator now begins to depress theoperating-lever 50, which will have the effect of rotating the pinions46 49, depressing the arm 52, which as it bears against the free end ofthe short arm of the bell-crank carried by the escapement-lever willrock the latter sufficiently to effect a disengagement between it andthe spring-actuated ratchet-disk. The latter being impelled by itsdriving mechanism (to be presently described) will cause the spring-arm23 to slip off any trigger with which it may be in contact (the presentdrawing showing said arm resting against the last of the first fourtriggers which had been previously tripped) and forcibly strike the nextsucceeding trigger, tripping the latter out of engagement with theprojecting pin 17 of the gate and permitting the latter'to swing openand discharge the paper. (See Fig. 12.) As the escapement-lever is beingtilted in the manner described the curvature of the long arm of thebell-crank, against which the pin 57 of the coin-intercepting leverbears and rides, permits the said lever under the weight of the coin totilt sufficiently to effect a release of the coin held between it andthe arm 58. The release takes place about the time the operating-lever50 has been depressed about half- ICC locking-pawl 45 is to compel thepurchaser to continue the depression of the operatinglever until theoperation is completed and prevent any return of the lever to itsoriginal position after it has passed the point at which the coin isdischarged into the coin-receptacle. The pawl, in effect, locks thelever against any return movement after it has passed the point referredto. This is obvious. As the forked end of the escapement-lever is beingdepressed the finger 43 thereof, which normally supports the arm 44: bywhich the pawl is weighted, is also depressed, eventu-s ally passing outof contact with said arm and permitting the pawl to engage the teeth ofthe pinion 46, the pawl jamming between the teeth of the pinion,preventing rotation thereof in a contrary direction, and hence lockingthe operating-lever against return movereturn of the latter to itsoriginal position under the action of the spring 33 will cause thefinger 43 to strike the arm 44, thus trip- I ping the pawl out ofengagement and restoring the parts to their normal positions.

The ratchet-disk may be impelled by anyf suitable mechanism; but in thepresent device it is impelled by a coiled spring 64:, re-

spectively secured to the disk and to the stem about which it turns asfollows: The stem 65, about which the ratchet-disk rotates, has acylindrical portion which passes through the outer cover-plate 66 of theframe in which the ratchet is mounted and through the cenv ter of theratchet-disk, the stem terminating in asquare or polygonal inner endwhich passes through a polygonal opening of the rear member 67 of saidframe, said member 67 serving as a key for winding up the spring. Theouter end of the spring is made fast to a post 68, projecting from thebase ofthe pocket 68 of the ratchet, within which the spring is housed,the pin being located near the peripheral wall of the pocket, and theinner end of the said winding spring is made fast to the stem. Thespring may be wound up by seizing the cover-plate and ratchet in onehand and turning the key (which has been passed over the square end ofthe stem) with the other in the proper direction, and when the desiredtension is imparted to the spring the opposite ends of the key are madesecure to the coupling-arms 69 of the cover-plate, the screws 70 usedfor the purpose serving at the same time to secure the parts to the wallof the housing immediately over the mounting-plate.

The ratchet-disk rotates through an are sufficient to trip all thetriggers of the series, its rotation being arrested by the jaw 24 comingin contact with the ends of the frame within which it is mounted. Theratchet is turned back to. its original position by turning back theratchet with one hand, while the spring-arm may escape the series oftriggerswhile the ratchet is being reset I swing the latch 71 out ofengagement from the arm,

tilting the latter to a position at right angles to the plane of theface of the ratchet-disk. (See dotted position of said part in Fig. 11.)When the latter is reset, I simply swing the springarm back to itstrigger-engaging position, locking it again by the latch 71.

By swinging the position of the switch 58 away from thecoin-intercepting lever it is apparent that a small coin (such as onecent) will not remain suspended for a sufficient length of time to trip-the bell-crank under the arm of the bell-crank-engaging pinion, thecoin passing into the coin-receptacle without any other result. Saidadjustment is made when dispensing Sunday papers which sell for anickel, this being the coin which will be effective under thecircumstances.

The coin-interceptin g lever may be so weight- I ed as to be trippedonly upon the introduction of two separate pennies, such adjustmentbeing possible with the present machine where a paper is being sold fortwo cents.

The front wall of the receptacle or box,

of a curtain 73, on whose front face are the words Sold out, which whenthey are presented to the purchaser indicate that the contents of thereceptacle has been exhausted. In practice the curtain 72 is held up byinserting its upper edge between the folds of the paper contained in thefront compartment, so that the name of the paper may appear through theopening, and inserting the lower edge of the curtain 73 between thepaper folds. (See Fig. 10.) As the latter drops out with the lastpurchase it will drag the curtains after it, pulling the lower curtainout of view and dropping the upper curtain directly in front of theopening, thus exposing the words Sold out. (See Figs. 2 and 13.)

Under ordinary circumstances the bellcrank is tilted by the action of acoin; but should anyone attempt to beat the machine the bell-crank couldbe tilted by tipping the boX forward, bringing the short arm of thebell-crank under the influence of the arm of the bell-crank-engagingpinion. To prevent such abuse of the machine, I pivot a weighted arm orplumb 74L along the side of the forked end of the escapement-lever. Thisplumb always hangs vertical and is provided with an intercepting-finger75, which is in the path of the long arm of the bell-crank, which itwould intercept against rocking forward should the box be tipped in thatdirection.

It is obvious, of course, that many changes might be made in the presentmachine without departing from the spirit of myinvention and that thedevice maybe used for dispensing other articles besides newspapers.

In order to reset the gates after they have all dropped open, theoperator passes his hand over them, folding them to a closed position,at which their terminal pins will engage with the notches of thetriggers and be held there until released in the manner alreadyindicated. The compartment 54, between whose lateral walls thecoin-interceptin g arm or lever is pivoted, is merely a recess formed orcut in the face of the wall of the receptacle, the base of the recessforming the inner wall of the compartment and the outer cover-plate 75'forming its outer lateral wall. The recess is so cut as to leave aguiding-ledge 76 for the coin and the necessary room or space for thefree oscillation of the coin-intercepting arm, whose pivotal pin 77 thewalls of the compartment support.

As best seen in Fig. 1, the removable partitions 78,by which the severalcompartments are formed, are made as light as possible by cutting awayfrom the body of each a segment reaching from the upper edge to adistance slightly beyond the center, the lower opposite corners havingcut therein notcl1es79, resting snuglyagainst the strips 11 and 13, bywhich the partitions are supported. The partitions are inserted intogrooves 80, formed along the inner surfaces of the walls of thereceptacle, from which they may readily be withdrawn.

Having described my invention, what I claim is 1. In a paper-vendingmachine, a suitable receptacle, a series of compartments for the same, ahinged gate located at the bottom of each compartment, a series oftriggers adapted to normally hold the gates in a closed position, arotatable ratchet-disk, an escapement-lever for permitting theratchet-disk to advance with each oscillation of the lever, intermediateconnections between the ratchetdisk and triggers for tripping the latterand disengaging the gates with each advance of the ratchet-disk,suitable controlling mechanism for the escapement-lever brought intoposition for cooperation therewith upon the introduction of a propercoin into the machine, and means for operating said controllingmechanism from the outside of the receptacle, substantially as setforth.

2. In a paper-vending machine, a suitable receptacle, a series ofcompartments for the papers, the front wall of the compartment fromwhich the last paper is delivered being provided with a suitableopening,la curtain having its lower edge secured to the wall below theopening and having indicated on its face the name of the paper, a secondcurtain secured along its upper edge above the opening and havingsecured along its face words indicating the fact that the contents ofthe receptacle has been exhausted, the curtains being adapted to havetheir free edges inserted between the folds of the paper and adapted tobe properly dragged or pulled into position upon the discharge of saidsheet,substantially as set forth.

3. In a paper-vending machine, a suitable receptacle having a series ofvertical compartments for the papers, a series of swinging gatesnormally closing the bottoms of the compartments, triggers for normallyretainin g the gates in such closed positions, a springactuatedratchet-disk for tripping said triggers and releasing the gatesse'riatimwith the introduction of coin into the machine, a spring-controlledescapement-lever for said ratchet-disk, an operating-lever for trippingthe escapement-lever to permit the ratchetdisk to advance one tooth at atime, the escapement-lever disengaging itself from the influence of theoperating-lever upon the depression of the latter to its full extent,substantially as set forth.

4. In a paper-vending machine, a suitable receptacle, having a series ofcompartments for the papers, an opening cut in the exposed wall of oneof the compartments, and curtains secured in proximity to the openingand actuated by the falling of the paper, so as to bring the readingmatter on said curtains in front of the opening, substantially as setforth.

5. In a paper-vending machine, a suitable coin-chute, acoin-intercepting lever communicating therewith, the "said lever beingadapted to be tripped by a coin of proper denomination, and the coinheld suspended at the lower end of the lever, a suitable operating-lever, intermediate connections between said lever and thecoin-intercepting lever to permit a further tripping of the latter upona depression of the operating-lever, and thus cause the release of thecoin thus suspended, and means for preventing the return of theoperating-lever to its original position, until after it has beenactuated its full stroke, substantially as set forth.

6. In a paper-vending machine, a suitable receptacle having a series ofvertical compartments, a housing located at one side of the receptacle,aspring-actuated ratchet-disk mounted in the housing, a spring-controlledescapement lever cooperating with the ratchet, a spring-arm pivotallysecured to a jaw carried by the ratchet-disk, a series of pivotedtriggers actuated by the spring-arm, pins for limiting said triggers,pivoted gates for the compartments, means for normally holding thetriggers in engagement with the gates While the latter are in a closedposition, a bell-crank pivotally secured to the forward end of theescapement-lever, a suitable coinpartment located adjacent to thehousing, a plate covering one side of the compartment, acoin-intercepting lever pivoted in said compartment and having a lateralpin projecting through a curved slot in the plate and adapted to engagethe long arm of the bell-crank lever, an operating-lever, pinionsinterposed between the lever and bell-crank for engaging the latter uponthe downward movement of the operating-lever, a finger carried by theescapement-lever adjacent to the bell-crank lever, a locking-pawloperating in connection with the operating-lever and the pinionsactuated thereby, an arm carried by the locking-pawl adapted to bestruck by the finger carried by the escapement-lever, a switcharmcooperating with the coin-intercepting lever, a coin-chute leading tothe compartment in which the coin-intercepting lever is pivoted, and aspring for restoring the operating-lever and parts controlled thereby toits normal position, the parts operating substantially as and for thepurpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

' DANIEL SULLIVAN. Witnesses:

EMIL STAREK, GEORGE L. BELFRY.

